The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-16
Lively Scene in a Hotel.


A remarkable scene took place at the Van
Ness House Sunday morning February 81
about 10: 30 o'clock. just as most of the
guests had returned to the office and read
ing room from the dining-hall they were
startled to hear series of piercing shrieks
from the direction of the staircase. The
next instant one of the Chambermaids APP
peared, running down stairs at full speed,
while few steps behind her was a young
man, barefooted and in his shirt, which was
the only article of clothing he had on. In
his right hand he whirled a char-leg with
one of the rounds attached and the man
iacal wells that he uttered were blood
curding. The screams of the young woman
added to the general confusion and a verit-
able panic among the guests ensued. Some
made break for the outside entrance, but
the pressure against the door was so great
that it could not be opened Others jumped
over the news table between the Office and
reading-room, overturning the table and
scattering the newspapers and periodicals
in every direction. A drummer in the
reading-room bolted for the barber shop
across the hall just as one of the BARRIERS
closed the door and braced against it to
keep the intruder out. The drummer did
not stop, however, but sprang at the door
with such force that he knocked out the
upper panels of the door and shot through
the opening like an arrow, landing in the
lap of one of the customers, who was being
shaved. All of the occupants supposed the
drummer was the man to be feared and
made break for the opposite entrance
some with lather streaming from their chins
and all presenting the most ludicrous pic
ture imaginable. A colored bell-boy jumped
into the towel basket and held chair over
his head \ prominent clother ran into the
front room, while well-known young
music teacher ran through the dining-room
and kitchen into the smaller dinng-room
followed by a troop of dining-room girls and
vainy attempted to jump through one of the
windows The head waiter ran to the foot of
the stairs just in time for the lunatc to make
pass at him with the chair round, which
caused him to run for the basement as if Satan
was after him. A little drummer who re-
tanned his Self-possesSon, made a rush for
the lunatic just as the latter reached the
foot of the stairs and barely escaped a
terrific blow from the chair leg that made a
veritable " crush " of his high hat. He sue
ceeded, however, in grasping the lunatic
about the body and pinioning his arms.
Two other occupants of the room now
sprang to his assistance and at the same in
slant drummer in the direction of the
news room so far lost his head as to shoot
at the intruder. This caused one of the
dining-room girls who had remained to fall
to the floor in faint, and Manager Drew,
who was just coming from his room, sup
posed she had been shot and rushed into
the Office to secure her supposed assailant.
w
thrown to the floor and secured. He was at
once properly arrayed and lodged in Jail.
1t was subsequently learned that the
chambermaid had sprained her ankle badly
as a result of the fracas but in room 52,
which was occupied by the young man, still
further damage was found The bed
clothing was tossed about and the chairs
had been broken into kindling-wood, while
the panels of the door were completely
knocked out. The chambermaid says she
heard him pounding and had started to call
help, when he broke through the door and
chased her downstairs. 1t was found that
the young man had registered at Rowe's
Hotel as " James" giving no place of resi-
dence, about four o'clock Saturday after
noon, and that evening he registered at
the Van Ness House in the same man.
ner saying that it was all the name
necessary. He stated that he came from
| the Island, but the stage-driver said no such
man came with him. James told Sheriff
Barton that he was car-builder and was
| from New Hampshire. DIR. Clark of the
Retreat was called and he said that he
could not say whether the fellow was in
| sane or shamming, as he refused to give his
| name which is unusual. He ordered a
keeper for the young man, in the person OF
burly German. Tuesday night james
secured a tlat-iron and would have killed
his keeper but for the immediate response
| of Officer Favreault to his cries for help
On the entrance OF the ofhcer James re-
| treated to cell and when the officer at
tempted to enter struck him on the head
with the poker, The cap which the officer
wore broke the force of the blow and he
threw James to the floor, his head striking
on the iron bed as he fell cutting a long
cash in his head. The fall quieted him 81
! that DR., Linsley stitched the wound, ano
! Wednesday the lunatic was taken to Brat
tleboro. 1t was supposed he was the Mr.
James from New Haven, Ct, who persisted
in the Hartford horror, but the body of the
latter has been identified by his brother.